Toolhead for multi-axis machine tools

14) A multi-axis machine tool, comprising:

• a bed;
• a spindlehead mounted to the bed and capable of movement relative to the bed on a plurality of positioning axes;
• drive means by which the spindlehead is positioned on the various axes;
• a toolhead comprising a tool-holder rotatable about a respective machining axis, equipped with a collet in which to hold a tool, and attachable to the spindle of a spindlehead in a multi-axis machine tool, also a stop cage element slidable axially relative to the tool-holder, affording an active surface set transverse to the machining axis and positionable against the surface of a workpiece, capable of movement between a first operating position in which the active surface is located forward of a cutting portion presented by the tool, relative to a feed direction along which the spindlehead approaches the surface of the work, and a second operating position in which the cutting portion of the tool is located forward of the active surface, at least in part, and sensing means by which the axial position of the stop cage element relative to the tool-holder is monitored continuously, wherein the sensing means of the toolhead are connected to a processing and control unit in such a way that the axial movement of the spindlehead can be controlled according to a selected machining depth programmed into the selfsame processing and control unit.